Smith-Cotton’s High Voltage Racks Up Awards at Summer Camp

Smith-Cotton High School’s High Voltage dance team returned from the MA
Dance and Auxiliaries summer camp with a collection of awards.

The camp, held July 8-10 in Des Moines, Iowa, included more than 400 teams; High Voltage was the sole representative from Missouri. The camp provided opportunities for choreography and technique sessions, as well as team and individual evaluations.

High Voltage earned an “Excellent” rating for a routine learned prior to the camp (“Home Routine”) and a “Superior” rating, one level above “Excellent,” for a routine learned at the camp (“Grand Champion”). The team also was recognized with the Ginger Rogers
Award for Outstanding Class Etiquette and the Alvin Ailey Award for Outstanding Work Ethic.

High Voltage captain Shelby Bradshaw was first runner-up in the 12th grade category of the solo dance competition with her performance of “Landslide,” which she choreographed on her own.

Other individual honors were “Rising Star” ribbons, awarded to dancers who
exhibit outstanding work, attention and mastery of choreography in an intermediate level routine session; and “All-Star” ribbons for advanced level routine sessions.

An “All-Star” ribbon qualifies a dancer to participate in the All-American Halftime Show at the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl in Orlando and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. A very small number of dancers at MA Dance camps nationwide (top 5 percent) also are awarded “Honor Roll” pins, an additional elite recognition above the “All-Star” ribbon. High Voltage members’ honors:

“Rising Star” ribbon: junior Emily Beltran; sophomores Alyssa Ream and
Delaney Mayes; and freshmen Madison Canon, Abbygail Mullins and Khloe
Shelledy.

“All-Star” ribbon: senior Shelby Bradshaw; junior Anna Parent; sophomores
Envie Johnson, Jessi Layton and Emma Pettigrew; and freshman Khloe
Shelledy.

“Honor Roll” recipients: Bradshaw, Parent, Pettigrew and Shelledy.

High Voltage Coach Julie Willadsen said: “This is truly a great camp run by caring, professional, experienced staff from MA Dance and the Iowa State Dance Team Association. The attending Iowa teams and staff always make us feel welcome and we are energized and inspired by this experience. I am proud of our team for working so hard and for conducting themselves with class and lots of Tiger pride."